Young Wilhelm
- 1016 pages
- 36 hours of reading
John C. G. Röhl's acclaimed life of Kaiser Wilhelm II, from his birth in 1859 to his accession to the throne in 1888.
Wilhelm II Series
This extensive biographical series delves into the life and reign of the last German Emperor. It examines his childhood and adolescence within an environment rife with intrigue and personal rivalries that shaped his complex personality. The series meticulously details his estrangement from his parents, his turn towards military circles, and his ascent to power during a pivotal era of German history. It offers profound insights into the psychology of a powerful yet deeply flawed ruler and his impact on global events.
Recommended Reading Order
Wilhelm II
- 1306 pages
- 46 hours of reading
Kaiser Wilhelm II ruled Imperial Germany from his accession in 1888 to his enforced abdication in 1918 at the end of the First World War. This book, based on a wealth of previously unpublished archival material, provides the most detailed account ever written of the first half of his reign.
Wilhelm II
- 1310 pages
- 46 hours of reading
Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859-1941) ruled Imperial Germany from his accession in 1888 to his enforced abdication in 1918 at the end of the First World War. This book, based on a wealth of previously unpublished archival material, provides the most detailed account ever written of the first half of his reign. Following on from John Röhl's definitive and highly acclaimed Young Wilhelm: The Kaiser's Early Life, 1859-1888 (1998), the volume demonstrates the monarch's dynastic arrogance and the wounding abuse he showered on his own people as, step by step, he built up his personal power. His thirst for glory, his overweening nationalism and militarism and his passion for the navy provided the impetus for a breathtaking long-term goal: the transformation of the German Reich into the foremost power in the world. Urgent warnings from all sides, both against the revival of a semi-absolute Personal Monarchy on the threshold to the twentieth century and against the challenge his goal of 'world power' implied for the existing World Powers Great Britain, France and Russia were brushed aside by the impetuous young ruler with his faithful military retinue and blindly devoted court favourites. Soon the predicted consequences - constitutional crisis at home and diplomatic isolation abroad - began to make their alarming appearance.
Wilhelm II. Der Weg in den Abgrund, 1900-1941
- 1611 pages
- 57 hours of reading
Dieser letzte Band von John C. G. Röhls biografischem Werk über Kaiser Wilhelm II. enthüllt die zentrale Rolle des Kaisers bei den Ursprüngen des Ersten Weltkriegs. Das Buch untersucht Wilhelms Anteil am Burenkrieg, dem Russisch-Japanischen Krieg, dem maritimen Wettrüsten mit Großbritannien und Deutschlands Rivalität mit den Vereinigten Staaten sowie an den Krisen über Marokko, Bosnien und Agadir. Es wirft auch neues Licht auf die öffentlichen Skandale, die seine Herrschaft begleiteten, von den Homosexualitätsvorwürfen gegen seine engen Freunde bis zur Daily-Telegraph-Affäre. Vor allem analysiert John Röhl die zunehmenden Spannungen zwischen Deutschland und Großbritannien und den wachsenden Druck, den der Kaiser ab 1912 auf seinen österreichisch-ungarischen Verbündeten ausübte, um das serbische Problem zu lösen. Nach der Niederlage Deutschlands und Wilhelms erzwungenem Rücktritt beschreibt er die bittere Erfahrung des Kaisers im Exil in Holland und seine frustrierten Hoffnungen, dass Hitler ihn auf den Thron zurückbringen würde.